Paint It Black
by Spazoid
Summary: When a body is found in Chicago exactly like a body found in Las Vegas, the two very diffrent CSI teams must work together to bring down the killer.
1. Hanging By A Moment

I must apologize for the profiles and lack of action in this first chapter but I figured readers would need to know about the OC's in this. The Vegas crew will show up, just not now and no, the OC's won't be with and of the Vegas CSI's. And please, please, please be nice. Tis' my first CSI fic.

Spazoid

Brianna McCarthy

Age: 27

Info: Specializes in 'strange' wounds and weapons. Because she's traveled so much, she has amassed a collection of rare and odd weapons from around the world and uses them all in reference for cases. Because she was raped in college, she doesn't work rape cases fearing she may get too involved. 

Marital Status: Hadn't dated since college until recently.

Damian King

Age: 43

Info: Damian was just recently promoted to head of the investigation unit which means he stills knows his people pretty well. With a fairly upbeat personality, it takes a lot to make him angry. But when angered, there's hell to pay. He's very close to Brianna but sees her merely as a friend. 

Marital Status: Married.

Tarshen Fujiyama

Age: 25

Info: The resident lab 'techie', Tarshen can definitely be classified as an odd one. Born in Tokyo, but raised in the U.S., he sports bleach blond dreadlocks, when his hair is actually black.  He rooms with Brianna in an apartment and loves to antagonize her. He respects Damian wholeheartedly. 

Marital Status: Dating Aisha Parks

Michael Murphy 

Age: 33

Info: As one of the older CSI's, he also doubles as a profiler, working briefly with the FBI. From working so long, he often has to make sure he isn't already picking a murderer with the first suspect. At times, he tends to make assumptions and seem snobbish but he truly is a good person though he butts heads with Brianna often.

Marital Status: Widowed with a 10 year old son

Aisha Parks

Age: 26

Info: The only other female, and one of few African Americans, in the building, she has a buoyant personality and connections with the gangs of the city, once being in a gang herself. Specializing in blood spatter, she especially likes to try and re-create whatever spatter she's found. She loves to try and set Brianna up with someone but usually backs off.  

Marital Status: Dating Tarshen Fujiyama

            It was a gruesome crime scene, one most investigators never wanted to see. And it almost seemed to defy the laws of physics too.

            "Boyfriend found her trussed up like this and called the cops. Said he was too freaked and didn't even go into the room the body's in. That call was at 7:17 am."

             Damian King only nodded to the officer who nodded in return and left. Pushing graying brown hair out of hazel eyes, the older man walked into the house crawling with officers and headed towards the room where he knew the body lie… or more appropriately, hung. An older man in his mid forties, Damian was the recently appointed head of the Chicago Crime Lab. 

            Carefully walking lest he disturb evidence, Damian made his way to the back room were a young woman was already standing. Coffee brown hair was pulled back in a long ponytail and though he could not see it in the dark, he knew the khaki and green shirt clad woman had green eyes.

            "What's holding her up, Brianna?" He spoke softly, eyeing the naked body. 

            A once pretty woman was now a bloody mess. Ligature marks on her wrists, neck and ankles as well as thin but obviously deep cuts all over her body as well as seemingly curved stab wounds. Her head was tilted back a gag in her mouth. The most perplexing was the fact that she seemed to just be suspended in mid air in a room with absolutely no furniture at all.  

A soft sigh and Brianna McCarthy turned to face him. "What's holding her up is a nasty little weapon known informally, I think, as garrote wire. Thin enough not to be seen by the naked eye at times but sometimes strong enough cut through limbs."

            "And the curved wounds?" He prompted his weapons expert.

            A shake of her head. "I need a better look."

            "You think we can get her down without destroying the wire, her, or evidence?"

            "Not without someone getting cut by an unseen wire."

            "Wonderful." Came the dry response. "Just get Aisha in here with you, have Tarshen log this in the files, gather what you can, the figure out how to get this damn body down."

            "Yes sir."

            "Poor girl…" Aisha murmured, snapping pictures of the blood drops and splatter around the room.

            "Yep, but life's a bitch." The black woman looked over where Brianna was crouched, looking closely at the wires attached to the wall… somehow.

            "And so are you. You're point?" 

            Brianna just turned to smirk at the other woman and before a smart comment could pass her lips, her cell phone rang. "McCarthy here. Oh, hey Tarshen. Really? So soon? Where? Okay. Okay… yeah. Call him. Keep us posted… yeah, bye."

            Aisha paused, raising and eyebrow and lowering her camera. "What was _that_ about? You seeing my boy behind my back?" Seeing her friend's expression remain solemn, she frowned. "What?"

            "Tarshen entered the case profile."

            "And…?"

            "He's got a match."

            "What, is it between cities?"

            "Hun, this is now between states. Same type of vic, profile and murder scene was found in Las Vegas Nevada."

            Aisha blinked once, then twice. "Well shit." 

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or anything affiliated with CSI. And I would like to add, I am no CSI myself and any mistakes on the 'acting' of the characters or their actions are purely because I am not… a CSI.


	2. Las Vegas, Meet Chicago

Whee! Next chapter. I had a bad day. Wrote this, all better! Las Vegas crew finally gets involved and no one complain because they don't like how I portrayed someone. Give me a few tips, sure. But don't complain. Because that's just irritating. ^_^ Anyway, enjoy!

Paint It Black

Chapter 2

Las Vegas, Meet Chicago

            Brianna was not tired at all by her hasty midnight flight to Las Vegas. Used to traveling at weird hours with weird time changes, something like this didn't bother her at all. 

            It didn't mean she enjoyed it. Cramped on a flight for two hours, when most sane people were sleeping, didn't not count as 'fun' to her. 

            Stretching a little, she got off the plane; her backpack slung over one shoulder. She had dressed plain, in flare jeans, a black tee shirt and a hoodie wrapped around her waist. Running a hand through her dark hair, she sighed and looked around. 

            All Damian had told her was that someone from the Las Vegas lab would be meeting her. Damian had sent her, just her, at first and was coming over with Tarshen, a few days later. He had a case to finish up and Brianna was the right choice, being the only one with no close family, no cases, and an expertise in strange weapons/wounds. 

            Now, she just had to find whom she was supposed to meet…

            "Brianna McCarthy?" She jumped at the voice, whirling around to face whoever was behind her, reaching for a gun that wasn't there.

            "Whoa! Sorry bout that!" It was an African American, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "Didn't mean to scare you."

            Brianna just nodded and forced a smile. "It's okay. I've always been a bit jumpy. Yeah, I'm Brianna." She held out her hand.

            "Warrick Brown, Las Vegas Crime Lab." He took her hand in a firm grip. "I was told to get you to the lab ASAP. You think we'll have trouble getting out of here?"  
            "Yes."

            "Why do I feel very uneasy with how quick you answered that?" Warrick asked as they began to walk.

            Brianna offered him a small, apologetic smile. "I've already determined one of the weapons used in the attack. And I had to bring it with me… along with my firearm."

            "Okay… you have the right papers, the guns fine. Why is the weapon so hard?"

            "Because it's basically illegal in every country and lethal to even the wielder?"

            Warrick stared then nodded. "I see. Something tells me this won't be an open and shut case."

            "I don't think so either." 

            "Where the hell is Warrick?" Sara Sidle huffed, placing her hands on the common room table in front of Gil Grissom who was looking over a magazine.

            Grissom looked up at her slowly, tugging off his glasses. "Warrick said they were going to have trouble getting out if the airport. Give them time Sara."

            "We don't have time!" Sara sighed, righting herself again and leaning against the edge of the table.

            "She's got a point." Nick Stokes admitted, walking into the room and pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Two bodies, about two months apart, for all we know, whoever this is, could start attacking more people more often."

            "Then we'll have to catch them before they do." Grissom said simply, standing and facing the doorway.

            "The cavalry… has arrived." Warrick's voice started a couple seconds before he entered the room with a mock bow.

            Sara whirled to face him, hands already on her hips. "What took you so long?!" 

            Warrick jerked his thumb to the figure behind him. "Our Chicago girl. She brought evidence that... umm… isn't quite standard."

            "Sorry but I was correct in the assumption you have none here." Those in the room eyed the small woman critically and she in turn looked at each on of them.

            Grissom was the first to step forward, hand extended. "Gil Grissom. I want to thank you- and Damian- for sending someone out here so quickly."

            The woman shook her head, her straight hair swishing. "Brianna McCarthy. Don't mention it. You can thank Damian in a few days when he gets here. He had a few things to finish first."

            Grissom nodded to Brianna and turned to the other two in the room, wait, three. Catherine had slipped in two. "Brianna, this is Sara Sidle, Nick Stokes, and Catherine Willows. You'll be working with them and Catherine offered to let you use her house while you stay."

            Brianna looked mildly surprised at the last part and looked to Catherine." Are you sure? I might be here for awhile."

            Catherine shrugged and smiled at the younger woman. "Hey, if you pay for you food, stay neat, it'll save you a few bucks and make life a bit easier."

            Brianna nodded slowly. "Thanks."

            "I'm sorry, for being impatient, but is if pleasantries are over, we have a case to solve." Sara suddenly butt in, looking at everyone else.

            Grissom watched Brianna smirk. "My thoughts exactly."

            "It's referred to, I think, don't put me down as saying this, garrote wire. It can be high grade, top quality fiber wire of it can be as simple as a piano cord. It is illegal but you can buy it on the black market or on the Internet." Brianna explained as she pulled the wooden bow out of its paper bag, grabbing a pair of gloves.

            "And how do you know this?" Nick Stokes asked at her side, looking at the bow with raised eyebrow.

            "I travel a lot. And I amass a lot of weapons. While in Spain once, where it was most recently banned, I was witness to a body that seemed to be hanging in mid air. It was the wire. Don't ask how it came to be mine, you don't want to know, but I researched it after that and added it to my collection at work."

            "Collection?" Brianna smiled faintly at Grissom's curios tone, pausing in her work.

            "I collect odd weapons from around the world. Use them for reference at the lab." She explained, snapping open the case and donning a pair of thick leather gloves.

            "You're… not gonna use lab gloves over that?" Nick spoke again, giving her a dubious  look.

            "No point. This isn't the murder wire, only something similar to it and it would cut right through the gloves as is." She murmured, carefully removing the delicate coiled wire from its case. Carefully she laid it on the table, knowing it could suddenly uncurl and easily cut her, despite the thick gloves.

            True to her suspicions, as soon as she set it down it did uncurl, snapping towards her. Unsuccessfully she tried to pull out but got a stinging cut across her arm.

            "Shit." She swore quietly and pulled her arm up to stop the blood from getting anywhere. "Knew it was gonna do that. Anyone else get hit?"

            "We're fine. You okay?" Warrick asked, handing her a towel.

            "Yeah, I should have been more careful. As you can see, even a slight touch can pierce skin. So being suspended by it would definitely do some damage. It also depends on the grade of the wire." Brianna added, pressing the cloth to the skin as the others peered at the weapon.

            "Do you know about the other wounds?" Sara looked up from her examination to look at Brianna.

            She shook her head, peering at her cut. "No, had to dash out here quickly and didn't have enough time to look."

            "Catherine will take you down to the coroners to get a look. Do you mind if we look at this while you're gone?" Grissom asked, barely sparing a glance up. 

            "Not at all. Use the gloves and be careful. It's hard to control and easily wraps around limbs; that's why it's often as lethal to the killer as the victim."

            Grissom's piercing eyes focused on her fully and Brianna had no doubt this man would find the killer. "Well, that's something to take into consideration, isn't it?"

Disclaimer: CSI and all its characters do not belong to me. Damian, Tarshen, Aisha, Brianna, and Michael, do. Any discrepancies should be pointed out so they can be fixed. And no, garrote wire is not fake. It does exist.


	3. Confessions

This (along with another update) was a request from a good friend so… HAPPY BIRTHDAY ENDER! *blows a horn and throws confetti* Hope you like the additions. ^_^ And thanks to the very few that reviewed. It was nice of you guys.

Paint It Black

Chapter 3

Confessions

Catherine watched Brianna move around the body in the coroner's lab, gloved fingers gently poking at a wound now and then.

            "What do you think?" Catherine prompted softly.

            Brianna gave a soft groan as she straightened, looking at the other woman. "I don't believe I've ever seen stab wounds like this before. They look only vaguely familiar but I'd have to make a call back home and have someone check my files."

            Catherine nodded and watched the younger woman stifle a yawn and blink a few times. "Tired?"

            "Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it…" Brianna grinned sheepishly.

            Catherine gave her a small smile, tugging of her own gloves. "Don't worry; our bodies rebel against us from time to time. Lucky for you, shifts over and we can't go any farther on any of these cases so you get to come home with me and sleep."

            Brianna suddenly clasped her hands together and looked up at the ceiling. "There is a god…" 

            Catherine just smirked and led the way out of the room.

            Brianna looked out the car window, half asleep, the bright lights of Las Vegas blurring as they drove past them.

            She was suddenly aware Catherine had said something and snapped her head up. "What?" She asked dazedly. 

            Catherine chuckled softly; it reminded Brianna vaguely of her mother. "I said, I have a daughter, I hope you don't mind."

            "Oh…" Brianna gave an embarrassed chuckled. "No, I don't mind. Will your husband be home?"

            There was a sudden uncomfortable silence before Catherine spoke again. "I'm divorced."

            Brianna literally cringed, feeling her face flush even more. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean… I wasn't thinking…"

            "It's okay." The tension had obviously bled form her voice. "You didn't know." 

            Brianna just went back to looking out the window. "I shouldn't have assumed. Assuming is dangerous."

            "Haven't I heard that one before…" Catherine's tone made Brianna smile a bit as the older woman shot her a little glance. "You about you? Pretty girl like you has to have a sweetie back home."

            Brianna felt her face smooth over, the muscles rearranging into the perfect mask. "No, not really… I don't date that much…"

            It Catherine noticed, she said nothing only giving a small nod. "I see… ah, here we are. Home, sweet home."

            Brianna just smiled slightly at the cozy looking home, remembering, faintly, of what her own home used to look like.

            "Mommy!" Catherine smiled as her daughter ran out to greet her and gave her a big hug.

            "Hey, Lindsey! How's my girl?"

            "I'm good mommy. I have to go to school soon but I made waffles for you and juice and…" The young girl trailed off seeing Brianna get out of the car as well with her bag. "Momma, who's that?"

            Catherine smiled as Brianna walked up. "This is Brianna. She's going to be staying for a little while." 

            Brianna smiled at the smaller girl, a kindly smile, like big sister to little sister. "Hey Lindsey." 

            Lindsey obviously liked her immediately. "Hello! Can I call you Bri? Cause my friends names is Brianna but we all call her Bri cause it's easier and…"

            "Bri is just fine." Brianna laughed, as the sounds of a bus roared down the road.

            "Bye momma! By Bri!" Lindsey yelled as she ran off and Catherine watched her go fondly. 

            "Sweet girl…" Brianna murmured by her side, shaking the mother out of her reverie. 

            "Lindsey was the one good thing that came out of me and my husbands marriage…"

            "Ouch, that hurts Cath." Catherine resisted the urge to make a face, turning towards Eddie.

            "Sorry. Didn't know you bruised so easily. Thanks for watching her. You can leave now."

            Her ex-husband jerked his head towards Brianna. "What, you got the hots for the other side now?"

            "Eddie…" She warned, but Brianna stepped in smoothly.

            "Oh, he's fine." Brianna smiled almost too sweetly at Eddie, warning in her eyes. "I don't know you, but I'm going to say something now: I don't like people like you. And you don't like me. So let's part with a mutual agreement and no one gets bones broken. Okay?"

            Catherine resisted the urge to laugh at Eddie's surprised face. "Where the hell did you pick this bitch up? I'm outta here." Eddie gave her one more dirty look then left.

            Catherine turned to look at the still smiling Brianna. "Nice…"

            The smiled faded a bit. "I've had practice…"

            Catherine gave her a curious. Twice now had the girl gotten that strange, far away, pained look. And something told Catherine she needed to probe. "Would… you like to get settled and explain that statement?"

            Brianna's look was guarded. "We'll see."

            Brianna looked around the spacious (by her standards) house. Catherine had been able to provide her with her own room and she had un-packed everything in a short amount of time. She had practice from traveling so much.

            "Hey, you want some waffles?" She turned from placing her last bit of clothes away to look at Catherine, tucking her hair behind an ear.

            "No, but coffee sounds good." She answered, moving out into the kitchen.

            "Coffee it is…" Catherine said, placing a steaming mug in front of Brianna as she sat down. 

            Brianna sipped the black brew, just comforting in the normalcy of it all. "Thanks, for all this."

            "No problem." Catherine sat next to her, then gave her a serious look. "Now, I don't mean to pry but… you have anything you wanna get off your chest?"

            Brianna looked down into the coffee, her reflection staring back at her. She was silent for a very long time, contemplating. "If I tell you… " she started, "You must promise to tell no one else without asking first."

            "I promise."

            Brianna gave a small smile as she started. She had no idea why she was telling Catherine this but she was just so like a mother… "In college… I was a bookworm. Studied all the time, never went out. I mean my roommate, who was my best friend, got me to go out a couple times but… I didn't go out. So when one of the cutest, brightest guys came up to me one day and asked me out, of course I said yes."

            She just stared in her drink, pictures floating in front of her vision. "Michael Moray. Sweet, cute, funny, bright… I loved him. My friend were wary but since it was my first boyfriend, ever, they let it go." A bitter smile twisted her lips. "I should have listened. We had been dating for about… six months? And had gone no farther then feeling each other up. Because I wasn't doing _anything_ till I got married." 

            She wasn't even telling Catherine anymore; she was just speaking, desperate for someone to listen. "He had come over that day, to my dorm, while my roommate was out. I asked him to get me some water while I put on another shirt. When I came back, he smiled, gave me the water… I drank it… and not… not five minutes later.. I couldn't talk. I could barely move. He took me… he took me into my room and he…"

            Her voice was breaking and she finally remembered Catherine, looking up at the stunned woman. Her voice was hoarse. "Never mind. Forget it… it's just…" She gave a sad smile, her vision blurring. "I never told my mom. I couldn't bare to and you act so much like her…"

            Catherine was stunned it seemed, mouth open slightly. "Didn't you… the cops… I mean…"

            "My roommate came in halfway through. And because she threatened him with a knife, and they found no evidence of drugs in my system I lost the case." She shrugged, not knowing how to explain it. "I have a restraining order…"

            Brianna was surprised as she was suddenly pulled into Catherine's arms and rocked, the older murmuring. "No one should have to go through that… no one…"

            It was then that eight years of pent of fear and shame coursed down Brianna's pale cheeks in salty tears. 

            She didn't have to suffer alone anymore.

            Catherine woke with a start to the phone ringing; she had fallen asleep on the couch after Brianna had gone back to her room to sleep as well.

            Grabbing for the phone Catherine sighed, remember Brianna's haunted look. At least she didn't have to hold in all in now…

            "Hello…?" She answered the phone, still half sleep.

            "Um…. I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

            "Yes, you did… and who is this?"

            "I'm sorry…" The voice on the other end was obviously embarrassed. "My name's Brian Judkowski. Um… I was told Brianna was staying here…"

            "Brianna? Why do you want to talk to Brianna?" Catherine was instantly wary.

            "… Personal reasons?"

            Catherine stared at the phone then spoke slowly. "One minute…." Staggering up, she grabbed the cordless phone and wandered into Brianna's room. 

            The younger woman was sprawled across the bed, clothes from earlier still on. Instantly, the girl was awake, turning towards the sound of Catherine's feet. "What?" She asked, relaxing at the sight of the woman holding the phone.

            "Call for you… a Brian Judkowski?"

            Catherine was surprised to see the girl instantly awake and reach for the phone. Smirking, she held the phone back. "Uh uh… not until I find out who this person is."

            Brianna bounced a bit, obviously uncomfortable. "Brian? He's… he's… he's my boyfriend that I'm not sure is my boyfriends. Gimme!"

            Acting like a child Brianna snatched the phone and Catherine's smirk grew as she thought out Brianna's words. "Well, that's a new one?"

            "Hello?" Back in Chicago, Brian could not help but smile a bit at the soft alto that spoke over the phone.

            "Hi." Her answered back, his own tenor soft. "I just felt like making sure you got to Vegas fine… You just left so fast…"

            "Yeah… I'm sorry… but how did you know where I was?" 

            The bleach blond man smiled a bit. "Who else but Tarshen who got it out of Damian."

            "Sneaky little bastard…"

            "What, you don't want to talk to me?" Came the mock hurt reply as aqua eyes glanced out a window.

            "You know what I mean…" Came the exasperated voice.

            Brian smiled a bit more. Brianna was, honestly and truly special to him. He knew how jumpy she was and just giving her time had been important to him. So they had only kissed once, mainly just held hands and went out. "I know. I'm just joking… we'd be going to Starbucks about now."

            "Yes… I miss my overpriced but insanely good coffee… I miss my tanned, blond, boyfriend that we're not sure is my boyfriend too…"

            "Miss you to. If I can, if… umm… whoever's house your staying at?"

            He heard her laugh over the phone. "Her name is Catherine Willows. And I'm sure she won't mind. She… you can trust her."

            Brian was confused for a minute. Brianna never trusted someone so quickly… unless… "Oh. Okay then. Ack!" He glanced at the clock and swallowed back a curse. "I gotta go. Business meetings call. Love you and be safe… promise me."

            More laughter. "I promise. Don't let the power hungry CEO's take advantage of you."

            "I won't."

            "Love you too Brian. Bye."

Disclaimer: I don't own Starbucks (sadly) or anything from CSI.


End file.
